Bandname: Tea Party, theTitle: Seven Circles
Genre: (alternative) Rock
Release Date: Autumn 2004
Record Company / Label: EMI/Inside Out
To most people the Tea Party is still an unknown act from Canada. Despite that the band is huge (in a Metallica-way) in Canada and Australia. And even the “insiders” in Europe (yes the Netherlands and Germany definitely know who the Tea Party are) know what to expect from these 3 rockers with a love for Eastern culture and instruments. They are probably the only band that successfully knows how to combine a ton of middle-eastern influences with Led Zeppelin, Bowie, Buckley, Nick cave and many more. 7 Albums later they still know how to deliver top-of-the-bill rock, leaving many bands behind in their trail. So discover this band and give them the respect they so definitely deserve.
Line-Up
Jeff Martin – vocals, guitars
Stuart Chatwood – bass guitars, keyboards
Jeff Burrows - drums
Website
www.teaparty.com
Song Review
1. Writing’s on the Wall – 2:40
No time to waste. The Tea Party means business. Something that becomes very clear as the band kicks into this heavy opening track. This rocks! And it rocks hard. The production is immense and the performance is very energetic. I always loved Jeff Martin’s voice and this song harbours all the characteristics that set him apart from so many other vocalists. Raw, emotional and intense. The odd off-beat pattern just adding to acknowledging why this band is so big in Canada and Australia.
2. Stargazer – 4:11
From the very beginning this song sounds like a cross-breed between Tea Party and U2. Catchy chorus that invites you to sing along and the rawness of rock make this a very commercial rocker. Some electronic sounds and additional keyboards help build a certain atmosphere. A mood of bombast and straight-from-the-heart emotion. Not strange that this was the second single off the album.
3. One step closer Away – 3:47
A dark vocal line accompanies a huge bass line, only disturbed by a slight outburst when the chorus sets in. Very groove-laden track. The drums are probably half of the intensity on this album. It really sounds like Jeff Burrows is pounding the life out of his drums. Very impressive drum-breaks and some electronics really make the drums sound very tasty.
4. Oceans – 4:35
Oceans is probably the most sincere and depressing song on the album. Written in the memory of their dear friend and manager Steve Hoffman, who lost his fight against a terrible sickness. With Jeff’s singing “If I promised an ocean would you care for the notion of staying here and resting your weary head” you can almost hear how emotional this must have been. With some very delicate orchestral parts and a slight mountain of guitars this song is very heavy to endure. And when the vocals get more intense towards the end you know that this is special.
5. Luxuria – 4:25
Strings, some percussion and some eastern female vocals shed some darkness on the intro. And then the most heavy guitar-riff of the album sets in. The arrangements on this track are phenomenal. The drum beat in the chorus, the double vocals, the eastern feel throughout, all the details… you can hear that these guys know what it takes to write top-level rock music. If I should name my favourite tracks on this album (and that’s very hard ‘cause the level is very high throughout the entire album), than this definitely one of them.
6. Overload – 3:53
Most of the album was produced by Gavin Brown and Jeff Martin, but 3 songs were done by none other than Bob Rock of Metallica fame. Track 6, 7 and 8 are those tracks. Overload is the Tea Party’s take on writing a genuine Led Zeppelin song. Well, that’s what it sounds like. The band has been “accused” of being a Led Zeppelin clone for years, something I do not agree upon, but this song almost sounds like they did it on purpose. It’s heavy and it has that Rock’n Roll feeling so well portrayed by Led Zep. Heavy stuff with a very nice chorus.
7. Coming back Again – 4:43
More eastern influences start off one of my other favourites of this album. Acoustic guitars, driving bass line and Jeff B. pounding on the toms are a nice way to fill the verses. But when the chorus kicks in and the guitars blast, Jeff M. starts sounding more angry and the instrumentations straight away reminds me of older Tea Party. Strong riffs that make you want to move. Plus I’m impressed by the details and atmosphere when you listen to this through headphones. Clean guitars, several instrumental parts that contribute to the overall sound.
8. The Watcher – 4:16
An orchestra, acoustic guitars, this must be the ballad. And yes, it is. Jeff Martin’s voice is so diverse that I can actually stand anything he does. The timbre makes anything he does sound sincere and filled with emotions. The guitars are more open with distorted guitars in the background.
9. Empty Glass – 3:15
Straight from the very first note I noticed that this song was slightly different. And after less than a minute I knew why. It sounded a lot like 70’s David Bowie stuff. When the lyrics kick in it is very, very clear. Singing “A starman will come, when diamond dogs run. We need ground control, we’re losing our souls”. This is a tribute to one of the band’s influences. Some of the guitars in this track are plainly HUGE. Another intense track.
10. Wishing you would Stay – 4:11
Again a “ballad”, but this time it’s a duet with none other than Holly McNarland, one of Canada’s more famous female rock vocalists (No, Alanis Morissette is not the only one). With a very nice laid back chorus, minimalistic verses, well-arranged string-parts, this is another lust to listen to. Holly’s vocals are such a contrast. Normally she has a tendency to sing a little bit more rough, but her mellow style in this song really compliment Jeff’s loud and characteristic voice.
11. Seven Circles – 5:04
Last track of the album and the eastern influences are back again. This song is sort of the odd one out. Seven Circles has the urge to sound more like stuff they recorded on the ultimate Tea Party album “the edges of Twilight”. Rock, together with illusive clean guitar-like parts. And even the keyboards contribute to the middle-eastern feel. At the end the song changes and we are exposed to some really intense lyrics, sung with total surrender, and then a very nice and tasteful guitar-solo to end the album in style.
Technical information
Total playing time: 45:12
Total numbers: 11
Cover pictures
Jeff Martin – vocals, guitars
Stuart Chatwood – bass guitars, keyboards
Jeff Burrows - drums
Website
www.teaparty.com
Song Review
1. Writing’s on the Wall – 2:40
No time to waste. The Tea Party means business. Something that becomes very clear as the band kicks into this heavy opening track. This rocks! And it rocks hard. The production is immense and the performance is very energetic. I always loved Jeff Martin’s voice and this song harbours all the characteristics that set him apart from so many other vocalists. Raw, emotional and intense. The odd off-beat pattern just adding to acknowledging why this band is so big in Canada and Australia.
2. Stargazer – 4:11
From the very beginning this song sounds like a cross-breed between Tea Party and U2. Catchy chorus that invites you to sing along and the rawness of rock make this a very commercial rocker. Some electronic sounds and additional keyboards help build a certain atmosphere. A mood of bombast and straight-from-the-heart emotion. Not strange that this was the second single off the album.
3. One step closer Away – 3:47
A dark vocal line accompanies a huge bass line, only disturbed by a slight outburst when the chorus sets in. Very groove-laden track. The drums are probably half of the intensity on this album. It really sounds like Jeff Burrows is pounding the life out of his drums. Very impressive drum-breaks and some electronics really make the drums sound very tasty.
4. Oceans – 4:35
Oceans is probably the most sincere and depressing song on the album. Written in the memory of their dear friend and manager Steve Hoffman, who lost his fight against a terrible sickness. With Jeff’s singing “If I promised an ocean would you care for the notion of staying here and resting your weary head” you can almost hear how emotional this must have been. With some very delicate orchestral parts and a slight mountain of guitars this song is very heavy to endure. And when the vocals get more intense towards the end you know that this is special.
5. Luxuria – 4:25
Strings, some percussion and some eastern female vocals shed some darkness on the intro. And then the most heavy guitar-riff of the album sets in. The arrangements on this track are phenomenal. The drum beat in the chorus, the double vocals, the eastern feel throughout, all the details… you can hear that these guys know what it takes to write top-level rock music. If I should name my favourite tracks on this album (and that’s very hard ‘cause the level is very high throughout the entire album), than this definitely one of them.
6. Overload – 3:53
Most of the album was produced by Gavin Brown and Jeff Martin, but 3 songs were done by none other than Bob Rock of Metallica fame. Track 6, 7 and 8 are those tracks. Overload is the Tea Party’s take on writing a genuine Led Zeppelin song. Well, that’s what it sounds like. The band has been “accused” of being a Led Zeppelin clone for years, something I do not agree upon, but this song almost sounds like they did it on purpose. It’s heavy and it has that Rock’n Roll feeling so well portrayed by Led Zep. Heavy stuff with a very nice chorus.
7. Coming back Again – 4:43
More eastern influences start off one of my other favourites of this album. Acoustic guitars, driving bass line and Jeff B. pounding on the toms are a nice way to fill the verses. But when the chorus kicks in and the guitars blast, Jeff M. starts sounding more angry and the instrumentations straight away reminds me of older Tea Party. Strong riffs that make you want to move. Plus I’m impressed by the details and atmosphere when you listen to this through headphones. Clean guitars, several instrumental parts that contribute to the overall sound.
8. The Watcher – 4:16
An orchestra, acoustic guitars, this must be the ballad. And yes, it is. Jeff Martin’s voice is so diverse that I can actually stand anything he does. The timbre makes anything he does sound sincere and filled with emotions. The guitars are more open with distorted guitars in the background.
9. Empty Glass – 3:15
Straight from the very first note I noticed that this song was slightly different. And after less than a minute I knew why. It sounded a lot like 70’s David Bowie stuff. When the lyrics kick in it is very, very clear. Singing “A starman will come, when diamond dogs run. We need ground control, we’re losing our souls”. This is a tribute to one of the band’s influences. Some of the guitars in this track are plainly HUGE. Another intense track.
10. Wishing you would Stay – 4:11
Again a “ballad”, but this time it’s a duet with none other than Holly McNarland, one of Canada’s more famous female rock vocalists (No, Alanis Morissette is not the only one). With a very nice laid back chorus, minimalistic verses, well-arranged string-parts, this is another lust to listen to. Holly’s vocals are such a contrast. Normally she has a tendency to sing a little bit more rough, but her mellow style in this song really compliment Jeff’s loud and characteristic voice.
11. Seven Circles – 5:04
Last track of the album and the eastern influences are back again. This song is sort of the odd one out. Seven Circles has the urge to sound more like stuff they recorded on the ultimate Tea Party album “the edges of Twilight”. Rock, together with illusive clean guitar-like parts. And even the keyboards contribute to the middle-eastern feel. At the end the song changes and we are exposed to some really intense lyrics, sung with total surrender, and then a very nice and tasteful guitar-solo to end the album in style.
Technical information
Total playing time: 45:12
Total numbers: 11
Cover pictures
Conclusion
The Tea Party did it again. For some reason this band really knows how to get to me. The best power-trio in the world. Very well-thought out songs with surprising twists and a huge eye for details. Their 7th album is another one to cherish. It’s such a waste that so many people never have heard of this incredible band. I can clearly recommend anyone to go and see them live whenever they come by in Europe. It’s an experience you won’t forget. Their shows are definitely in my top 5 of best shows I have ever seen. The standard of their music is kept high through the release of this album. Such a shame that they do not have a deal in Europe anymore, which definitely contributed in less coverage throughout this continent. I hope I could slightly make up for that with this review. One of the best albums of 2004.
Rating
Music: 9,5
Sound: 9,5
Extra's: n/a
Total: 9,5
The Tea Party did it again. For some reason this band really knows how to get to me. The best power-trio in the world. Very well-thought out songs with surprising twists and a huge eye for details. Their 7th album is another one to cherish. It’s such a waste that so many people never have heard of this incredible band. I can clearly recommend anyone to go and see them live whenever they come by in Europe. It’s an experience you won’t forget. Their shows are definitely in my top 5 of best shows I have ever seen. The standard of their music is kept high through the release of this album. Such a shame that they do not have a deal in Europe anymore, which definitely contributed in less coverage throughout this continent. I hope I could slightly make up for that with this review. One of the best albums of 2004.
Rating
Music: 9,5
Sound: 9,5
Extra's: n/a
Total: 9,5
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